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ABOUT INSIGHT ON DISABILITY

We are dedicated to bringing awareness to the public about disabilities and how they affect everyone. We strive to provide information about resources that are available to assist those in need of help. We also highlight those with disabilities that have done amazing things or who have contributed to the betterment of society.

The idea for the show came to me while I was living in LA. Occasionally, I would appear on a talk show on KNX 1070 AM to talk about assistive technology. Each time we did the show, people would call in to find out more about the technology and how to acquire it because a family member had just encountered a life changing disability. That little light bulb went off over my head and I realized that people were searching for this kind of information but there was no place for them to find it. Yes, there are pockets of disability shows on the Internet, but they are mostly disability specific and for those who are more computer savvy. I was looking to bring this information to that mainstream audience that really needed the help. I shelved the idea until I moved back to Baltimore. Then one day, while at work, I got that "time is right" feeling. So, out of the clear blue, I called the General Manager of WCBM Radio, and asked if they had a spot available to do my show. He said that I was in luck and that space had just opened up on Sunday nights at 7 pm, which is exactly where I wanted to be. Now came the task of putting a crew together. I asked Harry Cook, who I had done a few demo shows of IOD with in the past, if he wanted to co-host and he agreed. Next, I got a call from John Jeppi, owner of the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland (BIM). He said he had a new student, Brent Tarring, who wanted to get into doing broadcasting with regard to disabilities. So, Brent and I met and it was like we were long lost brothers. Then, the three of us met one night and we meshed perfectly and the team was assembled. The first week of the show, we met up with our control room producer, Avraham Warshaw, who was also a BIM grad and the connection was complete. BTW, we are all graduates of BIM, but from different years. Talk about Synchronicity! So, IOD began on May 1, 2011 and has been gaining popularity with each week.

I am lucky to have had two co-hosts at the beginning of the show who I think are extremely talented. Brent Tarring, who has survived numerous accounts with a disabling back injury and near death experiences. Prior to coming to IOD, he did play by play announcing for the WWE's Ohio Valley Wrestling farm system. He has the passion it takes to do this type of show. In July of 2012, Brent moved on to attend law school in Florida and I can never thank him enough for what he has done. Harry Cook, is the one who helped me get this show started in 2010 while he was attending BIM. I was taking a refresher course when Insight became a class project and we were doing the show from their FM station in Parkville. We nurtured the idea and honed it to what it is today. I thank him very much for his support and friendship. In October of 2012, Harry needed to return to his ministry full time and left the show. Without these two guys, the show would have been nothing!
The search began for a few good folks to fill the shoes of two heavyweight co-hosts. The search was long and hard, but Harry introduced me to Lou Botteon, aka Scruffy Lou, and he slipped into the spot very easily and took over the announcing role within the show. Later in the year, I placed an ad on Craig's List for a new co-host. Joe Buccherie who was the night time jock on WKTK FM, a rock station here in Baltimore during the mid 70s sat in until he left to take care of some physical issues. Our former intern, Amelia Avalos, now an assistant producer has also been with us for a year now. Filling out the ranks, we met, Noah White, a young blind man who won the Baltimore Coundy Commission on Disability's Student of the Year award for 2013. Noah, while appearing as a guest on the show, expressed his interest in radio. I asked him if he wanted to be a reporter for us and do stories about children with disabilities. He loved the idea and so did his mom. So, he joins us once a month and is doing a fantastic job.
As for me, Michael Gerlach, I have been visually impaired my whole life with cone-rod dystrophy. A gradual deterioration of my retinas. To go along with this disease, I also have what is called a "nystagmus". It is a neurological disorder where your eyes are constantly moving. So, to give you some kind of an idea about how I see things, on a good day I see fine, but on a bad day, it is like watching a snowy television screen from a long distance while riding on a bumpy road. Although it has been a rough journey, I have learned a lot about people and life. The time is now for me to take all that I have learned and put it on display in this show. It is my passion and I feel it is my duty to take my experiences and give it back to everyone.